Method for online account opening

ABSTRACT

A system and method that can be utilized to choose, set up, open, and/or manage an online account at a financial institution. The system and method allows for the automating of key aspects of an account opening process for customers such as tailoring the presentation of information to the online customer based at least in part on the customer&#39;s input, performing suitability checks for the customer based on online products chosen by the customer, presenting cross-sell products to the customer based on information known by the financial institution or currently received from the customer, and allowing a pending customer to complete the online application procedure in the absence of a confirmed identification of the online customer.

BACKGROUND

Electronic banking methods, including online accounts, have been in usefor a number of years. For customers, the ease of access to accountinformation and money management tools from virtually any location wherecomputer connectivity is available is a very attractive and much lesstime consuming alternative than having to physically appear at afinancial institution, such as a bank. For the financial institutionthat is offering online accounts to their customers, the economicbenefits of online accounts are extraordinary. These benefits typicallyinclude less paper to handle, easier audit procedures, more streamlinedoperations, fewer employees to manage, more efficient and effectiveaccounting through expanded use of automation, increased ability toprovide interactive products to customers, etc.

While electronic banking methods have made life easier for customersonce the electronic accounts are set up, the same cannot be said aboutthe typical procedure used for opening the online (electronic) account.Typical systems in use today do not automate the online account openingprocess thereby creating a barrier to entry for customers who wouldotherwise benefit from an online account. Many existing online accountopening systems require the customer to provide information to thefinancial institution which must then contact the potential customerlater, typically via an offline communication. The customer'sinformation must then be handled manually by an employee or temporaryemployee of the financial institution thereby greatly increasing thetime necessary for opening an online account as well as dramaticallyincreasing the probability for errors in processing the customer'srequest. Consequently, the customer resistance to the hassle, real orperceived, involved in opening an online account limits the potentialbenefits such accounts provide to both customers and financialinstitutions. Additionally, current nonautomated systems cannot takeadvantage of cross-sell opportunities that may present themselves if theonline account opening system were automated.

The present disclosure addresses the above problems by describingmethods for automating key aspects of the account opening process forcustomers. These methods may include, for example, ensuring that theonline accounts comply with all applicable laws and regulations,establishing business processes as needed to implement and support theonline account opening solution, streamlining the online account openingprocess for the financial institution and customers or potentialcustomers, increasing the overall efficiency of the operation of thefinancial institution, etc. Some of the efficiency benefits that may berealized by automating the online account opening process may include,for example, reducing labor costs (typically for temporary personnel)incurred in support of the online account opening process, reducing theexpense associated with current, nonautomated, methods for onlineaccount opening, accelerating the funding rate of accounts openedonline, increasing the offer and acceptance rates of cross-sellopportunities at the time of opening the online account, obtainingquicker and more efficient access to the increasing population segmentof customers who prefer to conduct business online, and engenderingincreased customer satisfaction by improving the customer experience foronline account opening.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide amethod for interfacing with a financial institution using a computerinterface where the method may include receiving a customer's interfacerequest at the financial institution; sending a first content to thecustomer where the first content may be presented to the customer andmay include a list comprising one or more products; receiving at thefinancial institution a first input from the customer which may be basedon the first content and may include a choice of one or more of theoffered products; determining if the customer is a current online clientof the financial institution; if the customer is a current onlineclient, receiving from the customer a first set of information which maybe verified by the financial institution (or by a third party which isnot part of the financial institution) and sending a second content tothe customer; if the customer is not a current online client or if thefirst set of information is not verified by the financial institution(or third party), requesting a second set of information from thecustomer and determining a status of the customer (either internally bythe financial institution or externally by a third party), by (i)receiving at the financial institution the second set of informationfrom the customer; (ii) determining if the customer is an offline clientof the financial institution which may be based on the second set ofinformation and if the customer is an offline client, sending the secondcontent to the customer; and (iii) determining an identification of thecustomer if the second information has been received and the customerhas been determined to be an offline client, or flagging the customer asa pending customer if an identification of the customer cannot bedetermined; performing a suitability check on the customer or pendingcustomer which may be based on the first input; approving the customeror pending customer for the chosen product which may be based on thesuitability check or flagging the customer as a pending customer if notapproved for the chosen product (which may be based on the suitabilitycheck); and sending a third content to the customer or pending customerwhich may be based on a set of qualification criteria where the thirdcontent may include a list comprising one or more cross-sell products.

Additionally, the above method may further include receiving at thefinancial institution a second input from the customer or pendingcustomer which may be based on the third content and may include achoice of one or more cross-sell products; sending a fourth content tothe customer or pending customer; and sending a fifth content to thecustomer or pending customer.

Still further, the above method may include setting up an account forthe customer if the customer has been approved for the chosen product;and informing the customer of the account set up.

The above advantages, as well as many other advantages, of the presentdisclosure will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to whichthe disclosure pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appendeddrawings, and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a flow diagram for a method of online accountopening according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram for a method of online account openingaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram for a further method of online account openingaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram for a method of online account openingincluding informing the customer of the account set up according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram for a method of online account openingincluding contingency where customer is not an off-line client accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for a method of online account openingincluding further contingency where customer is not an off-line clientaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram for a detailed method of online account openingaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 lists some of the qualification criteria and priority criteriathat may be used for a method of online account opening according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 9A through 9K represent a detailed flow diagram for a method ofonline account opening according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure may be utilized to choose, set up, open, and/ormanage (individually or collectively, “account interfacing”) an onlineaccount at a financial institution. “Online” may mean connecting to oraccessing account information from a location remote from the financialinstitution or a branch of the financial institution. Alternatively,“online” may refer to connecting to or accessing an electronic network(wired or wireless) via a computer over a network such as a local areanetwork, wide area network, internet, or other similar network system.The connection may be to a website (which may contain one of morewebpages, as is known in the art) provided on the network by thefinancial institution. A financial institution may be, but is notlimited to, a bank or other similar entity. “Website” and “webpage” maybe used interchangeably herein.

The present disclosure may be used to provide a potential onlinecustomer with access to a webpage which may include a matrix ofinformation about products from which the customer can choose one ormore. The information thus provided to the customer may allow thecustomer to differentiate between the products offered thereby allowingthe customer to make an informed choice as to which product(s) is bestfor them. The initial information presented may be tailored to onlyinclude essential information for the selection process, such as, butnot limited to, fees, eligibility requirements, features, and interestrates, where appropriate. Additionally, the customer may choose to viewfurther, more detailed, information about the offered products and cando so by requesting such information (e.g., following an online linkfrom the financial institution's webpage). Furthermore, the website mayinclude tools and information to assist the customer to compare two ormore of the products offered; the webpage may also include an e-mailaddress, network link, live “chat” connection (as is known in the art),or telephone number to customer service; and the webpage may furtherinclude a list of frequently asked questions with appropriate answers.

In order to assist the customer further during the online accountinterface session, the financial institution's website may include oneor more of the following features: estimated time for completion of theonline application; an alert indicating materials that the customer mayneed to complete the online application; a secure connection to protectthe customer's personal information; a progress indicator showing, forexample, the customer's progress through the account opening process; anexplanation as to why certain information is needed from the customer;information regarding the handling of the account information once it iselectronically submitted by the customer to the financial institution;and an indication of when and how the customer will be notified ofapproval or disapproval for the selected product. Additionally, thefollowing features may also be utilized: pre-filling information infields that can be pre-filled (e.g., the website may automatically enterthe customer's address once the customer has been properly identified,etc.); presentation of clear error messages on the online form beingfilled in by the customer along with possible causes for the errormessage; pre-submittal and post-submittal verification screens for thecustomer to review and edit; provision for links to otheraccounts/products the customer had previously set up with the financialinstitution; prompts for account add-ons; prompts for cross-sellproducts; and allowance for partially completing an application forlater retrieval and completion by the customer.

With attention now drawn to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a flow diagram, 100A and100B, respectively, for a method of online account opening according toan embodiment of the disclosure is presented. In FIG. 1A, at block 101 acustomer or potential customer may enter the financial institution'selectronic system for opening an account online. As described above,this may be a website provided by the financial institution that thecustomer can access via a public or private network. The customer mayenter the website a number of ways (i.e., the customer's entrance intothe financial institution's website may be “path sensitive”, which mayhave implications as discussed further below) such as via a publicnetwork, via a link from another account the customer may have with thefinancial institution, via an e-mail advertisement sent to the customerby the financial institution, in response to receipt of a promotionaladvertisement, etc. This may sometimes be referred to herein as aninterface request. At block 102 screen content may be presented to thecustomer by the financial institution. This may sometimes be referred toherein as first content. This screen content may be dynamicallypresented based on the path the customer used to get to the financialinstitution's website. The screen content may include a list of productsoffered by the financial institution to the customer. The list ofproducts may be different depending on the path the customer used to getto the financial institution's website. For example, if the customer isan existing online customer of the financial institution and already hasProduct A, then the list of products presented at block 102 may notinclude Product A since the customer already has Product A. At block 103the customer may choose one (or more) of the products presented in block102. This may sometimes be referred to herein as first input. Theproducts presented at block 102 may include, but are not necessarilylimited to the following: credit card, checking account, savingsaccount, loan, insurance, investment, cash management, check card, etc.as are known in the art.

At block 104, a determination may be made as to whether the customer isan existing online client of the financial institution. Thisdetermination may be based on information from block 101 or otherinformation provided by the customer or from another source, includingrecords possessed by the financial institution. If the customer is anexisting online client of the financial institution, then at block 105the customer enters information (which may sometimes be referred toherein as first information) such as, for example, a username andpassword. This information may typically be entered using a computer.Alternatively, as would be understood by those of skill in the art,other information may be used in place of a username and password. In aparticular preferred embodiment, since the customer is an existingonline client of the financial institution only a limited amount ofinformation need be entered by the customer. At block 107, theinformation provided by the customer at block 105 may be authenticatedby any appropriate method known in the art. If the information enteredby the customer at block 105 is authenticated, then the financialinstitution may, at block 109, present to the customer (e.g., bydisplaying information on a webpage presented to the customer) terms andconditions (which may sometimes be referred to herein as second content)as will be discussed in further detail below.

Returning attention back to block 104, if the customer is determined tonot be an existing online client of the financial institution, then atblock 106 the customer enters information (which may sometimes bereferred to herein as second information), for example, using acomputer. Alternatively, if at block 107 the customer's information isnot or cannot be authenticated, then at block 106 the customer entersinformation (which may sometimes be referred to herein as secondinformation), for example, using a computer as discussed above. Theinformation entered at block 106 typically is more extensive and/ordetailed than the information which is typically entered at block 105(since at block 106 the determination has been made that the customer isnot an online client of the financial institution or the customer'sinformation entered at block 105 cannot be authenticated). Theinformation entered at block 106 may be a “full application” including,but not necessarily limited to, information such as the customer's name,address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. At block 108, adetermination may be made as to whether the customer is an offlineclient of the financial institution. An offline client may include thesituation where the customer currently does business with the financialinstitution but not through the financial institution's online system.This determination may be made based at least partially on theinformation entered by the customer at block 106 and/or block 101. Ifthe determination is made that the customer is an offline client of thefinancial institution, then the financial institution may, at block 109,present to the customer (e.g., by displaying information on a webpagepresented to the customer) terms and conditions (which may sometimes bereferred to herein as second content) as will be discussed in furtherdetail below. If the determination made at block 108 is that thecustomer is not an offline client of the financial institution, then thefinancial institution may, at block 110, present to the customer (e.g.,by displaying information on a webpage presented to the customer) termsand conditions (which may sometimes be referred to herein as secondcontent) as will be discussed in further detail below.

The terms and conditions presented to the customer at block 109 or block110 may be dynamically presented based at least partially on the choiceof product made by the customer at block 103. In another embodiment, thespecific terms and conditions presented to the customer may also bebased on whether or not the customer is an online client of thefinancial institution and/or whether or not the customer is an offlineclient of the financial institution. In a further embodiment, for aparticular product chosen at block 103 by the customer, the terms andconditions that may be presented at block 109 may be different than theterms and conditions that may be presented at block 110 based on, forexample, the customer's status with respect to the financial institution(e.g., online client, offline client, both, neither). The terms andconditions, as is known in the art, typically includes informationappropriate for the product chosen by the customer at block 103 and mayinclude information, such as, but not limited to, minimum balancerequirements, payment rules, interest rates charged, late feeapplicability, etc.

Continuing now from block 109 as it carries over from FIG. 1A to FIG. 1Bvia connecting block A, at block 111 a determination may be made as towhether an identification of the customer has been verified and/orauthenticated, such as at blocks 105 and 107 as discussed above. If thecustomer's identification has been verified and/or authenticated, then asuitability check may be performed at block 115, as discussed in furtherdetail below. If at block 111 an identification of the customer has notbeen previously verified and/or authenticated, then at block 112 anidentification of the customer is confirmed (i.e., verified and/orauthenticated). The procedure for confirmation of the customer at block112 may be similar to the procedure for authentication of the customerat block 107. Proceeding now to block 113, if the customer'sidentification is confirmed at block 113, then at block 115 asuitability check may be performed as discussed in further detail below.If at block 113 the customer's identification cannot be confirmed, thenat block 114 the customer may be flagged as a pending customer andproceed with a pending customer status. In this way, the customer is notkicked out of the system for what may be nothing more than a minor errorthereby affording the customer a more pleasant online experience withthe financial institution. After the customer is flagged as a pendingcustomer at block 114, then a suitability check may be performed atblock 115, as discussed in further detail below.

The pending application may be reviewed offline by authorized personnel(e.g., an employee and/or agent of the financial institution) who maythen correct and thereafter release the application from pending status.This will preferably happen without further intervention by thecustomer/pending customer. In the event that the pending applicationcannot be cleared by the authorized personnel, the financial institutionmay initiate direct contact with the customer/pending customer in orderto be able to release the application from pending status.

At block 115, a suitability check may be performed on the customer orpending customer. The suitability check may be based on informationobtained from sources either internal or external to the financialinstitution and may also be based on information provided by thecustomer/pending customer (e.g., at block 101 and/or at blocks 105 or106) and the product chosen by the customer/pending customer in block103. The information for the suitability check may include one or moreof the following types of information, as is known in the art: creditcheck information, debit check information, fraud database information,identity verification information, account abuse information, financialhistory information, or combinations of one or more of the foregoing.

At block 116, a determination may be made regarding whether to approvethe customer/pending customer for the chosen product based at least inpart on the suitability check at block 115. If the customer/pendingcustomer is not approved for the chosen product, then thecustomer/pending customer may continue with the process in a pendingstatus at block 117 and continue to block 124. If the customer/pendingcustomer is approved for the chosen product, then the customer/pendingcustomer may be presented with cross-sell products at block 124 asdiscussed in further detail below.

With reference now directed to FIG. 1A and continuing from block 110 asit carries over from FIG. 1A to FIG. 1B via connecting block B, at block118 at block 118 an identification of the customer is confirmed (i.e.,verified and/or authenticated). The procedure for confirmation of thecustomer at block 118 may be similar to the procedure for authenticationof the customer at block 112. Proceeding now to block 119, if thecustomer's identification is confirmed at block 119, then at block 121 asuitability check may be performed as discussed above with reference toblock 115. If at block 119 the customer's identification cannot beconfirmed, then the procedure is ended at block 120.

At block 122, a determination may be made regarding whether to approvethe customer for the chosen product based at least in part on thesuitability check at block 121. If the customer is not approved for thechosen product, then the procedure is ended at block 123. If thecustomer is approved for the chosen product, then the customer may bepresented with cross-sell products at block 124 as discussed in furtherdetail below.

At block 124, the financial institution may present the customer/pendingcustomer with a list of cross-sell products (which may sometimes bereferred to herein as third content) from which the customer/pending maychoose one or more. The list of cross-sell products provided to thecustomer/pending customer may be based on a number of factors including,but not limited to, information provided by the customer/pendingcustomer (e.g., at block 101 and/or at block 105/106), whether thecustomer/pending customer is approved by the financial institution(e.g., at block 107 and/or block 112/118 as appropriate), the productchosen by the customer/pending customer (e.g., at block 103), otherproducts that the client may have (e.g., from the financialinstitution's records if the customer/pending customer is an existingonline or offline client of the financial institution), a credit check,and the financial institution's qualification criteria. Thequalification criteria may include, but is not necessarily limited to,the following: the customer/pending customer's choice of one or moreproducts, the suitability check, a predetermined set of risk rules, apredetermined set of business rules, a predetermined promotional code,information received from the customer/pending customer, existingcustomer/pending customer accounts at said financial institution, andexisting customer/pending customer products at said financialinstitution. The predetermined set of risk rules may include a factorbased on a current line of credit request from the customer/pendingcustomer. The predetermined set of business rules may include a factorbased on an estimate of potential revenue for the financial institutionfor the customer's choice of a product. The predetermined set ofbusiness rules may further include a factor based on an analysis of afinancial behavior, as is known in the art, of the customer or pendingcustomer.

At block 125, the customer/pending customer may choose one or more ofthe cross-sell products presented by the financial institution at block124 (which may sometimes be referred to herein as second input). If thecustomer/pending customer chooses a cross-sell product, then at block126 the financial institution may present to the customer (e.g., bydisplaying information on a webpage presented to the customer) terms andconditions (which may sometimes be referred to herein as fourth content)as discussed above with respect to block 109 and/or block 110. In anembodiment, the terms and conditions presented at block 126 may bedynamically presented, as discussed above, and may be based at least onone or more of the following: information provided by thecustomer/pending customer (e.g., information provided at one or more ofblocks 101, 105, and 106), the customer/pending customer's choice ofproduct at block 103, and the customer/pending customer's choice ofcross-sell product at block 125.

At block 127 the financial institution may present to thecustomer/pending customer additional information and/or selections(which may sometimes be referred to herein as fifth content) such as,but not limited to, finding requirements, check card information, onlinebanking information, etc. In an embodiment, the presentation of thisadditional information and/or selections at block 127 may be dynamicallypresented and may be based at least on one or more of the following:information provided by the customer/pending customer (e.g., informationprovided at one or more of blocks 101, 105, and 106), thecustomer/pending customer's choice of product at block 103, thecustomer/pending customer's choice of cross-sell product at block 125,and information from the financial institution's records if thecustomer/pending customer is an existing online or offline client of thefinancial institution.

At block 128, the financial institution may initiate account set-up, asis known in the art, for the products and/or cross-sell products chosenby the customer/pending customer. At block 129, the financialinstitution may mail a fulfillment, as is known in the art, to thecustomer/pending customer. The fulfillment may reach thecustomer/pending customer by postal service, e-mail, mobile phonemessage (voice or text), via a web page, or other methods known in theart. Typically, the fulfillment, which may include a confirmation of theoverall transaction represented by 100A and 100B, will be delivered tothe customer via the postal service, but the application is not solimited. As would be obvious to those of skill in the art, any method ofdelivery of the fulfillment to the customer/pending customer iscontemplated by the present disclosure. In an embodiment, thefulfillment is dynamic and may be based on at least one or more of thefollowing: the customer/pending customer's choice of product at block103, and the customer/pending customer's choice of cross-sell product atblock 125. In certain embodiments, physical things such as credit cardsmay be sent to the customer/pending customer.

Regarding the fulfillment, the purpose of contacting the customer mayinclude confirming to the customer that the customer's chosen productsare ready for use and to provide to the customer information and meansto begin using the account, such as checks, a check card, accountnumbers, credit cards, etc., where applicable to the product chosen.Additionally, the fulfillment provides the customer with informationconcerning how to begin using any special features of the productchosen, such as, but not limited to, how to get started with onlinetools to manage the product account, using online tools to pay bills,signing-up for and using mobile banding and electronic statements, andinformation on how to use multiple channels (phone, branch, online) forfuture banking needs or questions. Furthermore, the fulfillment mayinclude copies of terms and conditions for use of the product chosen, aprivacy notice. At block 130, the procedure ends.

With reference now directed towards FIG. 2, a flow diagram 200 for amethod of online account opening according to an embodiment of thedisclosure is presented. At block 201 a customer or potential customermay enter the financial institution's electronic system for opening anaccount online, as described above with respect to block 101 in FIG. 1A.At block 202 screen content (first content) may be presented to thecustomer by the financial institution as discussed above with respect toblock 102 in FIG. 1A. At block 203 the customer may choose one (or more)of the products presented in block 202 (first input), as discussed abovewith respect to block 103 in FIG. 1A.

At block 204, a determination may be made as to whether the customer isan existing online client of the financial institution as discussedabove with respect to block 104 in FIG. 1A. At block 210, if thecustomer is an existing online client of the financial institution, thenthe customer enters information (first information or first set ofinformation) such as, for example, a username and password as discussedabove with respect to block 105 in FIG. 1A. At block 211, theinformation provided by the customer at block 210 may beverified/authenticated by any appropriate method known in the art (asdiscussed above with respect to block 107 of FIG. 1A) and the financialinstitution may present to the customer (e.g., by displaying informationon a webpage presented to the customer) terms and conditions (secondcontent) as discussed above with respect to block 109 of FIG. 1A.

At block 220, if the customer is determined to not be an existing onlineclient of the financial institution or if the customer's information asdiscussed above at block 210 is not or cannot be authenticated/verified,then a second set of information (second information) from the customermay be requested by the financial institution, as discussed above withrespect to block 106 in FIG. 1A. Additionally at block 220 anidentification of the customer may be determined. At block 221, thesecond set of information may be received from the customer. At block222 a determination may be made as to whether the customer is an offlineclient of the financial institution (as discussed above with respect toblock 108 in FIG. 1A) and if the customer is determined to be an offlineclient of the financial institution, then terms and conditions may besent to the customer as discussed above with respect to block 109 inFIG. 1A. At block 223 an identification of the customer may bedetermined as discussed above with respect to blocks 111, 112 and 113 inFIG. 1B. If the customer's identity cannot be determined, then thecustomer may be flagged as a pending customer as discussed above withrespect to block 114 in FIG. 1B.

With reference now to block 230, a suitability check may be performed asdiscussed above with respect to block 115 in FIG. 1B. At block 231, thecustomer/pending customer may be approved for the product chosen inblock 203 above or if the customer/pending customer is not approved forthe chosen product, then the customer/pending customer may continue withthe process in a pending status. At block 232, the financial institutionmay present to the customer/pending customer a list of cross-sellproducts as discussed above with respect to block 124 in FIG. 1B.

With reference now directed to FIG. 3, a flow diagram 300 for a furthermethod of online account opening according to an embodiment of thedisclosure is presented. As between FIGS. 2 and 3, like referencenumbers relate to like components and/or procedural steps. Accordingly,blocks 301, 302, 303, 304, 310, 311, 320, 321, 322, 323, 330, 331, and332 are similar to blocks 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 211, 220, 221, 222,223, 230, 231, and 232 in FIG. 2 and the descriptions of those blockswill not be repeated.

At block 340, the customer may choose one or more of the cross-sellproducts presented by the financial institution at block 332 and informthe financial institution of that choice (second input). If thecustomer/pending customer chooses a cross-sell product, then at block341 the financial institution may present to the customer (e.g., bydisplaying information on a webpage presented to the customer) terms andconditions (fourth content) as discussed above with respect to block 126in FIG. 1B. At block 342 the financial institution may present to thecustomer/pending customer additional information and/or selections(fifth content) as discussed with respect to block 127 in FIG. 1B.

With reference now directed to FIG. 4, a flow diagram 400 for a furthermethod of online account opening including informing the customer of theaccount set up according to an embodiment of the disclosure ispresented. As between FIGS. 4 and 3, like reference numbers relate tolike components and/or procedural steps. Accordingly, blocks 401, 402,403, 404, 410, 411, 420, 421, 422, 423, 430, 431, 432, 440, 441, and 442are similar to blocks 301, 302, 303, 304, 310, 311, 320, 321, 322, 323,330, 331, 332, 340, 341, and 342 in FIG. 3 and the descriptions of thoseblocks will not be repeated.

At block 443, the financial institution may initiate account set-up, asis known in the art, for the products and/or cross-sell products chosenby the customer/pending customer as discussed above with respect toblock 128 in FIG. 1B. At block 444, the financial institution may mail afulfillment, as is known in the art, to the customer/pending customer asdiscussed above with respect to block 129 in FIG. 1B.

With reference now directed to FIG. 5, a flow diagram 500 for a furthermethod of online account opening including contingency where customer isnot an off-line client according to an embodiment of the disclosure ispresented. As between FIGS. 5 and 2, like reference numbers relate tolike components and/or procedural steps. Accordingly, blocks 501, 502,503, 504, 510, 511, 520, 521, 522, 523, 530, 531, and 532 are similar toblocks 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 211, 220, 221, 222, 223, 230, 231, and232 in FIG. 2 and the descriptions of those blocks will not be repeated.

At block 524, if the second set of information is received from thecustomer and a determination is made that the customer is not an offlineclient of the financial institution (as discussed above with respect toblock 108 in FIG. 1A) terms and conditions may be sent to the customeras discussed above with respect to block 110 in FIG. 1A and an identityof the customer may be determined as discussed above with respect toblock 118 in FIG. 1B. At block 525, if an identity of the customercannot be determined, then the process may end. If the identity of thecustomer is determined, then the process may proceed with thesuitability check at block 530 as discussed above with respect to block115 in FIG. 1B.

With reference now directed to FIG. 6, a flow diagram 600 for a furthermethod of online account opening including further contingency wherecustomer is not an off-line client according to an embodiment of thedisclosure is presented. As between FIGS. 6 and 5, like referencenumbers relate to like components and/or procedural steps. Accordingly,blocks 601, 602, 603, 604, 610, 611, 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 630,631, and 632 are similar to blocks 501, 502, 503, 504, 510, 511, 520,521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 530, 531, and 532 in FIG. 5 and thedescriptions of those blocks will not be repeated.

At block 650, a suitability check may be performed on the customer asdiscussed above with respect to block 121 in FIG. 1B. At block 651, thecustomer may be approved as discussed above with respect to block 122 inFIG. 1B. If the customer is approved, then the process may continue withpresentation of cross-sell products at block 632 as discussed at block116 in FIG. 1B. At block 652, if the customer is not approved, theprocess may end as discussed above at block 123 in FIG. 1B.

With reference now directed to FIG. 7, a flow diagram 700 for a detailedmethod of online account opening according to an embodiment of thedisclosure is presented. As between FIGS. 7 and 6, like referencenumbers relate to like components and/or procedural steps. Accordingly,blocks 701, 702, 703, 704, 710, 711, 720, 721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 730,731, 732, 750, 751, and 752 are similar to blocks 601, 602, 603, 604,610, 611, 620, 621, 622, 623, 624, 625, 630, 631, 632, 650, 651, and 652in FIG. 6 and the descriptions of those blocks will not be repeated.Additionally, as between FIGS. 7 and 4, like reference numbers relate tolike components and/or procedural steps. Accordingly, blocks 740, 741,742, 743, and 744 are similar to blocks 440, 441, 442, 443, and 444 inFIG. 4 and the descriptions of those blocks will not be repeated.

With attention to FIG. 8, blocks 801 and 802 list some of thequalification criteria and priority criteria, respectively, that may beused for a method of online account opening according to an embodimentof the disclosure as discussed above with respect to block 124 in FIG.1B. At block 801 the qualification criteria may include, but is notnecessarily limited to, the following: the customer/pending customer'schoice of one or more products, credit information for thecustomer/pending customer, whether the customer/pending customer is anew or existing offline client of the financial institution, apredetermined set of risk rules, a predetermined set of business rules,and a predetermined promotional code. At block 802 the priority criteriamay include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following: goals ofthe financial institution, a factor based on an estimate of potentialrevenue for the financial institution for the customer's choice of aproduct, and a factor based on an analysis of a financial behavior, asis known in the art, of the customer or pending customer.

With reference now to FIGS. 9A through 9K, these Figures represent adetailed flow diagram for a method of online account opening accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 9A through 9K are each dividedinto actions which may be performed wholly or predominantly at thefinancial institution (e.g., on a server associated with the financialinstitution which cause a different webpage to be displayed on thecustomer's computer terminal) and actions which may be performed whollyor predominantly at the customer's location (e.g., on a computerassociated with the customer which displays the financial institution'swebpage(s) and may submit information to the financial institution'sserver) as is known in the art.

In FIG. 9A, at block 901A a customer may begin an online applicationtransaction by, for example, clicking on an “Apply Here” button for aparticular product on the website of a financial institution. At block902A the financial institution may determine if the customer's state ofresidence is known. If the customer's state of residence is unknown,then at block 903A a query may be sent to the customer asking thecustomer to supply his/her state of residence. At block 904A, thecustomer may select his/her state of residence from a list presented tothe customer (or by other methods known to those of skill in the art)and at block 905A the customer may submit his/her state of residenceinformation to the financial institution. At block 906A the financialinstitution may receive the state of residence information from thecustomer and may determine if the customer's state of residence is in astate that the financial institution does, or is licensed to do,business (i.e., the financial institution's “footprint”). If thecustomer's state of residence is outside the financial institution'sfootprint then at block 907A the financial institution may advise thecustomer that the financial institution may not accept an applicationsubmitted by the customer and at block 908A the financial institutionmay recommend to the customer that he/she contact (e.g., by telephone,mail, etc.) or visit a branch of the financial institution foradditional assistance. At block 909A the process ends.

If, from block 906A, the customer's state of residence is within thefinancial institution's footprint, or if, from block 902A, thecustomer's state of residence is known, then at block 910A the financialinstitution may send to the customer a webpage containing an overview ofthe financial institution's online application process.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, an alternate route (as shown inFIG. 9A) may be taken from the starting block 901A. This alternate routebypasses the determination of the customer's state of residence. In thisembodiment, the customer's state of residence information may beobtained, for example, later in the process such as at block 907E inFIG. 9E. Furthermore, the list of products that may be presented to thecustomer for the customer to choose from, for example at block 906D inFIG. 9D, may be “generic” to every state, i.e., not “state specific”.Once the customer's personal data, including state of residence, isobtained then the customer's state of residence may be used to determineproduct “terms”, rates, pricing, etc., as well as for determining a listof cross-sell products to be presented to the customer.

At block 916A the financial institution may make a determination as towhether the customer initiated the online application process byresponding to a marketing promotion. If the customer is responding to amarketing promotion, the financial institution may query the customerfor a promotion code at block 911A. At block 912A the customer mayreceive the query and submit a response to the financial institution.The customer's response may include, but is not necessarily limited to,a promotion code and an identification code for the customer. At block913A the financial institution may receive the customer's submission andmay determine if the customer's promotion code and/or the customer'sidentification code are valid. If the promotion code and/or the customeridentification code are invalid, the financial institution may send anerror message to the customer at block 914A and may then loop back toblock 916A. If the promotion code is valid, the financial institutionmay at block 915A identify the customer as “marketing special” formarketing, accounting, or other purposes.

If, from block 915A the promotion code as valid, or if, from block 916Athe customer is not responding to a marketing promotion then the processmay continue in FIG. 9B via connecting block A.

With attention now drawn to FIG. 9B, from FIG. 9A via connecting block Athe financial institution may at block 902B display disclosure and feeschedules to the customer. The disclosures and fee schedules may be“universal” for all products offered by the financial institution on thefinancial institution's website or, in an embodiment, the disclosuresand fee schedules may be tailored to the specific product chosen by thecustomer at block 901A. At block 903B the customer may review the“universal” disclosures and fee schedules and at block 904B submit tothe financial institution an acceptance or rejection of the “universal”disclosures and fee schedules. At block 905B the financial institutionmay determine if the customer accepted or rejected the “universal”disclosures and fee schedules. If the disclosures/fee schedules wererejected, then at block 906B the financial institution may advise thecustomer that the customer's application cannot be accepted and at block907B the financial institution may recommend to the customer that he/shecontact (e.g., by telephone, mail, etc.) or visit a branch of thefinancial institution for additional assistance. At block 908B theprocess ends.

If at block 905B the disclosures/fee schedules were accepted, then atblock 909B a determination may be made by the financial institution asto whether the customer is an existing client of the financialinstitution. If the customer is an existing client of the financialinstitution, then at block 910B the financial institution may determineif the customer is signed in to the financial institution's system. Ifthe customer is not signed in, then at block 911B the financialinstitution may send a login screen to the customer. Upon receipt of thelogin screen, the customer (who is an existing client), at block 912B,may provide his/her login credentials to the financial institution. Atblock 913B the financial institution may receive the customer's logincredentials and may verify/validate that the customer is an existingclient of the financial institution. At block 914B the financialinstitution may determine if the customer/existing client was verified.

If, from block 910B the customer is determined to not be signed in, orif from block 914B it was determined that the customer/existing clientwas verified, then the process may continue at block 901C in FIG. 9C viaconnecting blocks C and D, respectively. At block 901C the financialinstitution may retrieve existing client data for the customer fromappropriate an data source and the process may continue at block 902C.

If, from block 909B the customer is determined to not be an existingclient of the financial institution, or if, from block 914B it wasdetermined that the customer/existing client was not verified, then theprocess may continue at block 902C in FIG. 9C via connecting blocks Band E, respectively.

With attention now directed to FIG. 9C, specifically to block 902C, adetermination may be made at the financial institution as to whether acurrent application for the customer exists. The financial institutionmay query the customer at block 903C for a customer identification codeand/or an online application identification code. At block 904C thecustomer may submit to the financial institution a customeridentification code and/or an online application identification code. Atblock 905C the financial institution may receive the information codesfrom the customer and may search for a partially-completed onlineapplication form. At block 906C the financial institution may determineif a partially-completed online application form was found. If apartially-completed online application form was not found, then thefinancial institution may display to the customer an error message atblock 907C and the process may loop back to block 902C. If apartially-complete online application form was found, then at block 908Cthe financial institution may retrieve the data for thepartially-completed online application form and use that data topre-populate a current online application form. Alternatively, thefinancial institution may retrieve the partially-completed onlineapplication form and display that form to the customer.

If, from block 902C the customer is determined to not have an existingapplication, or if, from block 908C the partially-completed onlineapplication and/or data has been retrieved, then the process maycontinue at block 901D in FIG. 9D via connecting block F.

With attention now to FIG. 9D, at block 901D the financial institutionmay determine (from appropriate customer input) if the customer wishesto apply for multiple accounts. If so, the financial institution maydisplay, at block 902D, on the customer's computer screen a list ofapplicable products from which the customer may choose. The productslisted in the list of applicable products may be selected by thefinancial institution based on at least the initial product chosen bythe customer in block 901A and/or the state of residence of the customeras selected in block 904A. Additionally, the list of applicable productsmay be based on a promotion code or a determination that the customer isresponding to an advertisement. The list of applicable products may bedisplayed, for example, on the customer's computer screen in a matrixform for easy comparison by the customer. The information displayed inthe matrix may include the name of the product(s) and a briefdescription of the product(s). At block 903D the customer may review theproduct matrix and, at block 904D, the customer may select an additionalproduct or products. At block 905D the financial institution may receivethe customer's additional selections and record those selections.

If, at block 901D, the customer decides to continue with the process fora single account/product, or if, from block 905D the financialinstitution has recorded the customer's additional account selection(s),then at block 906D the financial institution may display on thecustomer's computer screen a product(s) specification questionnaire. Inan embodiment, this questionnaire may be dynamically presented based onthe product(s) selected by the customer. At block 907D the customer mayreview the questionnaire and provide responses to the questionnaire. Atblock 908D the customer may submit his/her responses to thequestionnaire to the financial institution. At block 909D the financialinstitution may perform edits on the questionnaire responses submittedby the customer. At block 910D the financial institution may storedetails regarding the product specifications. At block 911D thefinancial institution may determine if complementary product(s) areavailable for the product(s) selected by the customer. If there arecomplementary products available, then at block 912D the financialinstitution may display on the customer's computer screen thecomplementary products and account options. At block 913D the customermay review the complementary products and account options. The processmay continue at block 901E in FIG. 9E via connecting block H.

With attention now drawn to FIG. 9E, from FIG. 9D via connecting block Hthe customer may at block 901E select complementary product(s) andaccount options and transmit those selections to the financialinstitution. At block 902E the financial institution may determine ifthe customer's selected complementary product(s) and account optionsrequire additional information from the customer. If additionalinformation is required, at block 903E the financial institution maydetermine what additional information needs to be captured.

If, from block 911D the financial institution determines that there areno complementary products then the process may continue in FIG. 9E viaconnecting block G.

At block 904E, if there are no complementary products from block 911D,or if there is no additional information required from block 902E, orafter there has been a determination as to what additional informationneeds to be captured at block 903E, then the financial institution maydisplay on the customer's computer screen an online application form. Atblock 905E the financial institution may determine if the application isfor a joint account (based on input from the customer). If theapplication is for a joint account, at block 906E the financialinstitution may request customer and co-customer personal information.If the application is for a single account, at block 907E the financialinstitution may request customer personal information. At block 908E thecustomer(s) may enter his/her/their personal information and at block909E the personal information may be submitted to the financialinstitution. At block 910E the financial institution may receive thecustomer's personal information and perform edits as necessary. At block911E the financial institution may store the customer's personalinformation. The process may continue at block 901F in FIG. 9F viaconnecting block I.

With reference now at FIG. 9F, at block 901F the financial institutionmay determine if the type of product(s) selected by the customerrequires the collection of supplementary information. If supplementaryinformation is determined to be required, at block 902F the financialinstitution may request customer and co-customer supplementaryinformation. At block 903F the customer and/or co-customer may entersupplementary information in the online application and at block 904Fthe customer and/or co-customer may determine if the online applicationform is complete. Also block 903F may be a loop-back via connectingblock M as discussed below with respect to block 912G in FIG. 9G. If thecustomer determines that the online application form is incomplete, thecustomer may, at block 906F select to save the incomplete onlineapplication form. At block 908F the financial institution may receivethe customer's selection and assign a customer identification codeand/or an online application code, at block 909F the financialinstitution may store the customer's partial application, and at block910F the financial institution may notify the customer of the customeridentification code and/or the online application identification code.The process may then stop at block 911F.

If, at block 904F, the customer and/or co-customer determines that theonline application form is complete, then at block 905F the customer maysubmit the online application form to the financial institution. Atblock 907F the financial institution may receive the online applicationform from the customer and store the entire application or just thesupplementary information.

At block 912F, if at block 901F the financial institution determinesthat the type of product(s) selected by the customer do not require thecollection of supplementary information, or from block 907F thefinancial institution stores the customer's application or supplementaryinformation, the financial institution may determine if the customer'sselected product type(s) require the collection of financialinformation. If the financial institution determines that financialinformation is required, at block 913F the financial institution mayrequest customer and/or co-customer financial information from thecustomer and/or co-customer. At block 194F the customer and/orco-customer may enter financial information. The process may continue atblock 901G in FIG. 9G via connecting block K. If, at block 912F, thefinancial institution determines that financial information is notrequired, the process may continue at block 909G in FIG. 9G viaconnecting block J.

With attention now directed towards FIG. 9G, at block 901G the customermay determine if the online application form is complete. If thecustomer and/or co-customer determines that the online application formis incomplete, the customer and/or co-customer may, at block 903G selectto save the incomplete online application form. At block 905G thefinancial institution may receive the customer's and/or co-customer'sselection and assign a customer identification code and/or an onlineapplication code, at block 906G the financial institution may store thecustomer's and/or co-customer's partial application, and at block 907Gthe financial institution may notify the customer and/or co-customer ofthe customer identification code and/or the online applicationidentification code. The process may then stop at block 908G.

If, at block 901G, the customer and/or co-customer determines that theonline application form is complete, then at block 902G the customerand/or co-customer may submit the online application form to thefinancial institution. At block 904G the financial institution mayreceive the online application form from the customer and store theentire application or just the financial information.

At block 909G, either continuing from block 912F via connecting block J,or after block 904G, the financial institution may perform edits on theonline application. At block 910G a determination may be made as towhether the online application has passed the edits. If it is determinedby the financial institution that the online application has failed theedits, at block 911G the financial institution may display an errormessage on the customer's computer screen, at block 912G the financialinstitution may display an error correction form on the customer'scomputer screen and the process may loop back via connecting block M toblock 903F in FIG. 9F. If at block 910G the financial institutiondetermines that the online application has passed the edits, the processmay continue at block 901H in FIG. 9H via connecting block L.

With attention now at FIG. 9H, at block 901H the financial institutionmay determine if the new account(s) selected by the customer requiresfunding. If the financial institution determines that funding isrequired, at block 902H the financial institution may present fundingoptions to the customer. At block 903H the customer may review theaccount funding options and at block 904H the customer may selectaccount funding option(s). At block 905H the financial institution mayreceive the customer's account funding option selection(s) and maydetermine if the selected online account funding option is acceptable.If the financial institution rejects the customer's selected fundingoption, at block 906H the financial institution displays an errormessage on the customer's computer screen and loops the process back toblock 902H. If the financial institution accepts the customer's selectedfunding option, at block 907H the financial institution determines theaccount funding method selected by the customer and at block 908H thefinancial institution requests account funding details from thecustomer. At block 909H the customer receives the account fundingdetails request from the financial institution and provides accountfunding details. At block 910H the customer submits the account fundingdetails to the financial institution. At block 911H the financialinstitution receives the account funding details from the customer andperforms edits on the account funding data. At block 912H the financialinstitution stores the customer's account funding data.

At block 913H, if the financial institution determines in block 901Hthat new account funding is not required, or the financial institutionstored account funding data at block 912H, the financial institutiondisplays on the customer's computer screen the online application formdata for final review. At block 914H the customer receives and reviewsthe online application form data. The process continues at block 901I inFIG. 9I via connecting block N.

With reference now to FIG. 9I, at block 901I the customer determines theaccuracy of the data on the submitted online application form. If thecustomer determines that edits are required, at block 902I the customeredits the online application form data. After the customer edits theonline application form data or if no edits are required, at block 903Ithe customer submits the verified/edited online application form data tothe financial institution. At block 904I, the financial institutionreceives the verified/edited online application form data and determinesif updates were made to the data. If updates were made to the data, atblock 905I the financial institution may determine if the updated onlineapplication form passed the financial institution edit checks. If theupdated online application form failed the edit check, at block 906I thefinancial institution may display an error message on the customer'scomputer screen, at block 907I the financial institution may display anerror correction form on the customer's computer screen, and the processloops back to block 902I.

At block 908I, if the financial institution determines that no updateswere made, or if at block 905I the financial institution determines thatthe updated online application form passed the edit checks, thefinancial institution may determine if additional disclosures arerequired for the product(s) selected by the customer. If additionaldisclosures are required, at block 909I the financial institutiondisplays the product(s) specific disclosures on the customer's computerscreen. At block 910I the customer receives and reviews the product(s)specific disclosures. The process continues at block 901J in FIG. 9J viaconnecting block P.

If the financial institution determines at block 908I that additionaldisclosures are not required, then the process continues at block 901Kin FIG. 9K via connecting blocks O and Q.

Now considering FIG. 9J, at block 901J, after receiving and reviewingthe product(s) specific disclosures at block 910I in FIG. 9I, thecustomer may submit an acceptance or rejection of the product(s)specific disclosures. At block 902J the financial institution receivesthe acceptance or rejection of the product(s) specific disclosures fromthe customer and may determine if the customer accepted or rejected the“universal” disclosure and fee schedules described above with respect toblocks 902B, 903B, 904B, and 905B in FIG. 9B. If the financialinstitution determines that the customer rejected the product(s)specific disclosures, at block 903J the financial institution may advisethe customer that the customer's application cannot be accepted and atblock 904J the financial institution may recommend to that the customerthat he/she contact (e.g., by telephone, mail, etc.) or visit a branchof the financial institution for additional assistance. At block 905Jthe process ends.

If, at block 902J the financial institution determines that the customeraccepted the “universal” disclosure and fee schedules and the product(s)specific disclosures, the process continues at block 901K in FIG. 9K viaconnecting block Q.

With attention now directed to FIG. 9K, at block 901K if the financialinstitution determined at block 908I in FIG. 9I that no additionaldisclosures for the selected product(s) are required, or at block 902Jif the financial institution determined that the customer accepted the“universal” disclosure and fee schedules and the product(s) specificdisclosures, the financial institution may determine if application feesare due from the customer. If application fees are due from thecustomer, at block 902K the financial institution may display on thecustomer's computer screen an application fee collection form. At block903K the customer may receive and complete the application feecollection form and at block 904K the customer may submit theapplication fee collection form to the financial institution. At block905K the financial institution may receive the completed application feecollection form and perform edits on the form. At block 906K thefinancial institution may store application fee data.

At block 907K, if the financial institution at block 901K determinedthat no application fees are required, or if the financial institutionat block 906K stores the customer's application fee data, the financialinstitution may display on the customer's computer screen a verificationof receipt of the completed online application form. At block 908K theprocess ends.

While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have beendescribed, it is to be understood that the embodiments described areillustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be definedsolely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalents,many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skillin the art from a perusal hereof.

We claim:
 1. A method for interfacing with a financial institution usinga computer interface, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receivinga customer's interface request at the financial institution; (b) sendinga first content to the customer wherein said first content is presentedto the customer and wherein said first content includes a listcomprising one or more products; (c) receiving at the financialinstitution a first input from the customer wherein said first input isbased at least on said first content and includes a choice of one ormore of said products; (d) determining if the customer is a currentonline client of the financial institution; (e) if the customer is acurrent online client, receiving from the customer a first set ofinformation and if said first set of information is verified by thefinancial institution, sending a second content to the customer; (f) ifthe customer is not a current online client or if said first set ofinformation is not verified by the financial institution, requesting asecond set of information from the customer and determining a status ofthe customer, comprising: (i) receiving at the financial institution thesecond set of information from the customer; (ii) determining if thecustomer is an offline client of the financial institution based atleast on the second set of information and if the customer is an offlineclient, sending the second content to the customer; and (iii)determining an identification of the customer if the second informationhas been received and the customer has been determined to be an offlineclient, or flagging the customer as a pending customer if anidentification of the customer cannot be determined; (g) performing asuitability check on the customer or pending customer based on at leastthe first input; (h) approving the customer or pending customer for thechosen product based at least on the suitability check or flagging thecustomer as a pending customer if not approved for the chosen productbased at least on the suitability check; and (i) sending a third contentto the customer or pending customer based at least on a set ofqualification criteria wherein said third content includes a listcomprising one or more cross-sell products.
 2. The method of claim 1further comprising the steps of: (j) receiving at the financialinstitution a second input from the customer or pending customer whereinsaid second input is based on at least said third content and includes achoice of one or more of said cross-sell products; (k) sending a fourthcontent to the customer or pending customer; and (l) sending a fifthcontent to the customer or pending customer.
 3. The method of claim 2further comprising the steps of: (m) setting up an account for thecustomer if the customer has been approved for the chosen product; and(n) informing the customer of the account set up.
 4. The method of claim1 wherein step (f) further comprises: (iv) if the second information hasbeen received and the customer has been determined to not be an offlineclient, determining an identification of the customer and ending theinterface session if an identification of the customer cannot bedetermined.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (f)(iv) furthercomprises performing a suitability check on the customer based at leaston the first input and the second information, and approving thecustomer for the chosen product based at least on the suitability checkor ending the interface session if the customer is not approved.
 6. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said interface request is path dependent. 7.The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more products on said listcomprising one or more products are chosen based on said path.
 8. Themethod of claim 6 wherein said products are selected from the groupconsisting of: credit card, checking account, savings account, loan,insurance, investment, cash management, and check card.
 9. The method ofclaim 1 wherein said second content is based at least on said first orsecond set of information and said choice of one or more products. 10.The method of claim 1 wherein said suitability check includesinformation selected from the group consisting of: credit checkinformation, debit check information, fraud database information,identity verification information, account abuse information, financialhistory information, and combinations thereof.
 11. The method of claim 1wherein said set of qualification criteria includes criteria selectedfrom the group consisting of: said choice of one or more products, saidsuitability check, a predetermined set of risk rules, a predeterminedset of business rules, a predetermined promotional code, said first orsecond set of information, existing customer or pending customeraccounts at said financial institution, existing customer or pendingcustomer products at said financial institution, and combinationsthereof.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined set ofrisk rules includes a factor based on a current line of credit request.13. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined set of businessrules includes a factor based on an estimate of potential revenue forsaid financial institution for said choice of one or more products. 14.The method of claim 13 wherein said predetermined set of business rulesfurther includes a factor based on an analysis of a financial behaviorof said customer or pending customer.
 15. The method of claim 2 whereinsaid fourth content is based at least on said first or second set ofinformation, said choice of one or more products, and said choice of oneor more cross-sell products.
 16. The method of claim 2 wherein saidfifth content is based at least on said first or second set ofinformation, said choice of one or more products, and said choice of oneor more cross-sell products.
 17. The method of claim 5 wherein saidsuitability check includes information selected from the groupconsisting of: credit check information, debit check information, frauddatabase information, identity verification information, account abuseinformation, financial history information, and combinations thereof.18. A method for interfacing with a financial institution using acomputer interface, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving acustomer's interface request at the financial institution; (b) sending afirst content to the customer wherein said first content is presented tothe customer and wherein said first content includes a list comprisingone or more products; (c) receiving at the financial institution a firstinput from the customer wherein said first input is based at least onsaid first content and includes a choice of one or more of saidproducts; (d) determining if the customer is a current online client ofthe financial institution; (e) if the customer is a current onlineclient, receiving from the customer a first set of information and ifsaid first set of information is verified by the financial institution,sending a second content to the customer; (f) if the customer is not acurrent online client or if said first set of information is notverified by the financial institution, requesting a second set ofinformation from the customer and determining a status of the customer,comprising: (i) receiving at the financial institution the second set ofinformation from the customer; (ii) determining if the customer is anoffline client of the financial institution based at least on the secondset of information and if the customer is an offline client, sending thesecond content to the customer; (iii) if the second information has beenreceived and the customer has been determined to be an offline client,determining an identification of the customer or flagging the customeras a pending customer if an identification of the customer cannot bedetermined; and (iv) if the second information has been received and thecustomer has been determined to not be an offline client: (A)determining an identification of the customer or ending the interfacesession if an identification of the customer cannot be determined; (B)performing a suitability check on the customer based at least on thefirst input and the second information; and (C) approving the customerfor the chosen product based at least on the suitability check or endingthe interface session if the customer is not approved; (g) performing asuitability check on the customer or pending customer based on at leastthe first input; (h) approving the customer or pending customer for thechosen product based at least on the suitability check or flagging thecustomer as a pending customer if not approved for the chosen productbased at least on the suitability check; (i) sending a third content tothe customer or pending customer based at least on a set ofqualification criteria wherein said third content includes a listcomprising one or more cross-sell products; (j) receiving at thefinancial institution a second input from the customer or pendingcustomer wherein said second input is based on at least said thirdcontent and includes a choice of one or more of said cross-sellproducts; (k) sending a fourth content to the customer or pendingcustomer; (l) sending a fifth content to the customer or pendingcustomer; (m) setting up an account for the customer if the customer hasbeen approved for the chosen product; and (n) informing the customer ofthe account set up.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said interfacerequest is path dependent.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the one ormore products on said list comprising one or more products are chosenbased on said path.
 21. The method of claim 19 wherein said products areselected from the group consisting of: credit card, checking account,savings account, loan, insurance, investment, cash management, and checkcard.
 22. The method of claim 18 wherein said second content is based atleast on said first or second set of information and said choice of oneor more products.
 23. The method of claim 18 wherein said suitabilitycheck includes information selected from the group consisting of: creditcheck information, debit check information, fraud database information,identity verification information, account abuse information, financialhistory information, and combinations thereof.
 24. The method of claim18 wherein said set of qualification criteria includes criteria selectedfrom the group consisting of: said choice of one or more products, saidsuitability check, a predetermined set of risk rules, a predeterminedset of business rules, a predetermined promotional code, said first orsecond set of information, existing customer or pending customeraccounts at said financial institution, existing customer or pendingcustomer products at said financial institution, and combinationsthereof.
 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said predetermined set ofrisk rules includes a factor based on a current line of credit request.26. The method of claim 24 wherein said predetermined set of businessrules includes a factor based on an estimate of potential revenue forsaid financial institution for said choice of one or more products. 27.The method of claim 26 wherein said predetermined set of business rulesfurther includes a factor based on an analysis of a financial behaviorof said customer or pending customer.
 28. The method of claim 18 whereinsaid fourth content is based at least on said first or second set ofinformation, said choice of one or more products, and said choice of oneor more cross-sell products.
 29. The method of claim 18 wherein saidfifth content is based at least on said first or second set ofinformation, said choice of one or more products, and said choice of oneor more cross-sell products.